Railroad



(No Model.)

R. B. MEEKER.

RAILROAD. No. 269,442. Patented Deo.. 19, 1882. PI i n ffv N A Ng, NI RK s .gm

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' UNITED STATES ATENT einen.,

ROSS B. MEEKER, OF SANFORDS `GORNERS, NEW YORK.

RAILROAD. y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,442, dated December 19, 1882.

' Application fnea March 2s, 1882. (No model.)

lo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ross B. Mannen, of Sanfords Corners, Jefferson county, New York, have invented new and useful Improve ments in Railroads, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The invention consists of metal ties, staybars, and joint-connections contrived for dispensing entirely with the wood ties now used, and for more substantial and durable construction; also greaterfacility of adjustment of the rails when desired; and also for greater strength in the rails, all as hereinafter more fully described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specicatiomiu which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding` parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a short section of railroad constructed according` to my invention, with a part sectioned horizontally. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

A represents the rails, which I propose to make considerably higher in the web a, between the head b and base c, than usual, in order to have greater self-supporting power between the ties than as now constructed, so as not to require 4so many ties; but in order not to materially increase the weight I propose to make the said web, also the base and the head, lighter, preferring` to dispense with some of the metal ot' these parts, or rather altering the proportions, and so disposing the metal as to increase the height ot' the web, and thereby making the rails stiffer. With the rails thus increased in carrying capacity I propose to use metal for the ties B and staybars C for greater permanence and durability; and the ties I propose to make of Wide plates or bars of rolled metal, with a deep bend, d, downwardalong the middle, from end to end, for so stiEening a thin 4platethat it may pos sess the required rigidity, and also for forming a channel for the cross-bar D, set edgewise therein, for coupling the rails both erosswise and lengthwise; also for a means of vertical adjustment ofthe rails above the ties, in case they settle too low in the earth. These crossbars D are made longer than the ties, and have the ends, which are increased in height to the top ofthe rails, from about the middle of the latter, bent around against the ends of the ties, as shown at e, to afford hold in the earth against central displacementof the rails by the lower portion. Between the rails and these parts c the elevated portions f are designed for connecting the rail -joint angleplates g, which are` bolted to them by jointbolts It, for which the holes i are slotted, so that the rails can be shifted upward and supported abovethe ties by the bolts, and by wood blocks Ainserted between them andthe ties, if necessary. y y

Besides the bends d, the edges of the ties may be anged over, as a-tj, to increase their stiffness. The cross-bars I) are firmly secured in the grooves ofthe ties by rivets lc, so that they add stiffness to the ties. Besides these ties, I also propose to employ metal stay-bars C as a means ot' safety against lateral displacement of the rails in case the bolts 7c should give way, said stay-bars having the outer ends, l, bent up over the flange outside and the lugs m similarly bent up over it inside, in the manner of switch-bars, to connect the rails securely together, sothat although thejoint coupling-bolts of each side may give way the rails A cannot separate nor shift toward each other out of line.

ln practice I propose to place these staybars alternately with the ties, or two or more may be used, the ties only beinglemployed at the joints, according to the length of the rails, and when the ties are used between thejoints ofthe rails the stay-bars C may be omitted.

The form adopted for the ties is with special reference to the useof rolled plates; but I do not limit myselfthereto, for cast metal may be used in some cases, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a cross-bar, D, with a railroad-tie consisting of a dat bar or plate having a longitudinal grooved rib, d, said crossbar being set edgewise in said grooved rib and riveted therein, substantially as specitied.

2. The combination of the grooved and ribbed plate or bar-tie I5 d and cross-bar D with rails A, said cross-bar having the ends e bent, as described.

3. The combination of the grooved and ribbed plate or bur-tie B (land cross-bar D IOO ribbed plate or banties B and stay-braces C with rails A, substantially as specified.

G. The rails'eonnectedboth lengthwise and erosswise by the crossbar D, with vertical extensions f, jointplates g, and bolts 11 sub- I5 stantially as specied.

ROSS BARNEY MEEKER.

Witnesses:

DWIGHT T. CONVERSE, EBENEZER W. FREDENBURG.

with the rails, the said cross-bar having the vertical extensionsfat and between the raill joints, and the joint-plates g bolted thereto, substantially as speeied.

4. The combination ofjoint-plzttes g, rails A, cross-bar D, and vertical extensions fof said cross-bar, the latter being provided with slotl ted holes for thejointfbolts 71y for adjusting the l rails, as described. v

5. The combination of alternate grooved and l, 

